Over the Monster - The Red Sox And Free Agent Nick SwisherBut Can He Pitch?https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/32934/otm-fv.jpg2012-12-23T10:11:02-05:00http://www.overthemonster.com/rss/stream/35224112012-12-23T10:11:02-05:002012-12-23T10:11:02-05:00Cleveland Indians To Sign Nick Swisher
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<figcaption>Stephen Dunn</figcaption>
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<p>The Cleveland Indians will sign outfielder Nick Swisher to a four-year, $56 million contract.</p> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/FeinsandNYDN/status/282860310757527552">According to Mark Feinsand</a>, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.letsgotribe.com/">Cleveland Indians</a> will sign <span>Nick Swisher</span> to a four-year, $56 million deal, not including a vesting option for a fifth year at $14 million based on plate appearances in 2016.</p>
<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Red Sox</a> have been linked to Nick Swisher on-and-off for much of the offseason, but this news would seem to end that pursuit. Unfortunately, this is perhaps the first time where a player the Sox showed interest in went elsewhere at an affordable price. At 32, Swisher is a bit of a risk at four years, but he's a strong all-around outfielder and 4/$56 is eminently reasonable.</p>
<p>With Swisher off the table, it seems likely that <span>Jacoby Ellsbury</span> will stay in Boston for at least the beginning of the season. The potential replacements for the outfielder have one by one dropped off the map with little apparent interest being shown by the league in his services. If he rebuilds his value in the first half without propelling the team itself into contention, they will likely look to move him again come the trade deadline.</p>
https://www.overthemonster.com/2012/12/23/3797632/cleveland-indians-sign-nick-swisher-to-four-year-56-million-dealBen Buchanan2012-12-12T10:01:24-05:002012-12-12T10:01:24-05:00Red Sox Remain In Contact With Nick Swisher
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<figcaption>The Star-Ledger-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>Boston has a full outfield, but they might be making room for another anyway</p> <p>While it's not clear if it's because of the wanting of another outfielder, or because the <span>Mike Napoli</span> <a href="http://www.overthemonster.com/2012/12/12/3758124/boston-red-sox-mike-napoli-free-agent-rumors" target="_blank">contract situation</a> actually is in dire straits, WEEI's Rob Bradford is reporting that the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Red Sox</a> <a href="http://www.weei.com/sports/boston/this-just-in/21246806/source-sox-still-interested-swisher" target="_blank">remain in contact with free agent</a> <span>Nick Swisher</span>. </p>
<p>Swisher appears to be holding out for larger offers, but other teams seem to be waiting out the <span>Josh Hamilton</span> market before making a move on the veteran outfielder and first baseman. Now that the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.letsgotribe.com/">Indians</a> have traded <span>Shin-Soo Choo</span>, they might be more willing to acquiesce to Swisher's demands, but it's hard to picture them going five or six years for him, and that's probably what it would take to get him to sign at this early junction. </p>
<p>His bat would make him a useful piece in the middle of the Red Sox order, thanks to his combination of power and patience. Defensively, he can play right or left, and could even fit in at first base should the situation merit it. It's harder to squeeze both him and Napoli in the lineup together, though, especially with <span>Jarrod Saltalamacchia</span> still around. There's obviously a lot left to be done in Boston's off-season, but it's just mid-December, so that's how it goes.</p>
<p>If Swisher is brought on board, and Napoli is a Red Sox as planned, it's likely Boston has stepped up their efforts to trade <span>Jacoby Ellsbury</span>, or have a deal in place to do so. The market is limited in that regard, but there are still clubs who could use a center fielder. And, if Boston is bringing in Swisher to go along with Victorino and Napoli, there's less reason to go for pieces that are major-league ready right now in an Ellsbury trade, widening the market a bit. Boston doesn't <i>have</i> to deal Ellsbury, though, so it's tough to gauge just what's going to happen with him at this stage.</p>
https://www.overthemonster.com/2012/12/12/3758244/boston-red-sox-nick-swisher-free-agent-rumorsMarc Normandin2012-12-05T14:35:53-05:002012-12-05T14:35:53-05:00Morosi: Red Sox Still In Nick Swisher Market
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<figcaption>Nick Laham</figcaption>
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<p>Apparently, the outfield isn't actually full yet</p> <p>Boston signed <span>Shane Victorino</span> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.overthemonster.com/2012/12/4/3728692/red-sox-shane-victorino-agree-on-three-year-deal">on Tuesday</a>, and the current plan is to have <span>Jonny Gomes</span> and a right-hander platoon in left field, but that doesn't mean they're done shopping for outfielders. Jon Morosi:</p>
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<p><a href="https://www.lookoutlanding.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Mariners</a>, <a href="https://www.letsgotribe.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Indians</a> and <a href="https://www.overthemonster.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Red Sox</a> among teams still in <span>Nick Swisher</span> market.</p>
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) <a href="https://twitter.com/jonmorosi/status/276404461537222656" data-datetime="2012-12-05T19:15:33+00:00">December 5, 2012</a>
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<p>Swisher would cost Boston their second-round pick, but as Ben Cherington has said before, they're willing to do that for the right deal. After losing out on Victorino to Boston, the Indians might be willing to win this one with their wallet, though, and the Mariners, who are so desperate as to be signing <span>Jason Bay</span> while simultaneously thinking about trading for <span>Jason Kubel</span>, should be regarded as unpredictable, armed, and dangerous.</p>
<p>It's not a guarantee, given Swisher could slot in to left, pushing Gomes and <span>Daniel Nava</span> to the bench as fourth and fifth outfielders, but it's likely that acquiring Swisher would further increase the chances of moving <span>Jacoby Ellsbury</span> for prospects or pitching. A Gomes/Nava, Victorino, Swisher outfield wouldn't have the same upside as one with Ellsbury in it instead, but the baseline production is a lot more predictable, and it's a setup they could have in place for at least two seasons, if they so choose.</p>
<p>Part of the reason Victorino was more appealing than Swisher is because he can slot into center, didn't cost a draft pick, and could be had for three years. Swisher does cost a draft pick, but Boston could play the same game with him as with Victorino and Napoli, increasing the average annual value in exchange for shaving off a year from the contract. The budget might start getting a little tight once they acquire a starting pitcher, but if Ellsbury and what will likely be around $10 million in salary for him is traded, breathing room opens back up.</p>
<p>The draft pick part is a little harder to part with, but it shouldn't be a deal breaker for the right player. If Swisher has a few more seasons in him that resemble, oh, every season he's ever had save one in an eight-year career, then Boston will be fine sacrificing their second-round pick next summer.</p>
<p>That's getting a little ahead of ourselves, though, especially since, as said, the Mariners and Indians might be looking to go a little more all-out than Boston at this point after missing out on other targets.</p>
https://www.overthemonster.com/2012/12/5/3732342/boston-red-sox-nick-swisher-free-agent-rumors-winter-meetingsMarc Normandin2012-12-04T11:03:17-05:002012-12-04T11:03:17-05:00Coming To Terms With Nick Swisher
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<figcaption>Nick Laham</figcaption>
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<p>Nick Swisher has made few fans in Boston between his time with the Yankees and his public persona. But loathe as some of us might be to admit it, he may well be the perfect fit in Boston.</p> <p>I don't like Nick Swisher.</p>
<p>I don't know if I don't like Nick Swisher because he's a Yankee. I'd like to think that his <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=9652889">"Vote Swisher" video</a> (warning: watch at your own risk) from 2010 would have brought me around to an anti-Swisher mindset regardless of what team he was on, but I can't say for sure. If he were a Diamondback, how aware of his existence would I be? If he came to the Red Sox from obscurity rather than infamy, would I be inclined to like him from his numbers, and then be--dare I say it?--won over by his antics?</p>
<p>I like to think not. I like to think that my dislike for Nick Swisher is not at all born of bias. But at the same time I'm hoping that it is something as petty and cheap as that, because I'm starting to think that the move I want the Red Sox to make (to get anyone other than Swisher) is not the move the Red Sox <i>should </i>make.</p>
<p>So far, the Red Sox have put together a pretty serious number of components. Pieces that, when fit together right, can provide some complete players at a number of positions. Daniel Nava and Jonny Gomes can platoon in left, where Gomes' (and, if you don't buy last year's improvements, Nava's) glove can be hidden. If Mike Napoli is going to catch a significant amount, David Ross can provide a fantastic glove behind the plate for a change-of-pace as the other semi-starter. First base might still be unfinished if that's the case, but give the Sox some time and they can probably find the right guy to play 80-or-more games there to complement Napoli.</p>
<p>Still, for all that there's a great deal of possibility there, it comes at the cost of reliability. The Sox won't always be able to get the matchups they want, and if someone is injured, the right replacement needs to be found. If Gomes goes down, for instance, where does lefty Ryan Kalish fit into the left field situation? Or if Gomes is batting sixth against a lefty, do we eventually end up with Nava facing a lefty in an all-important ninth-inning at bat and nobody left to hit for him?</p>
<p>What the Red Sox seem to need at the moment, aside from starting pitchers, is a solid all-around player, and that's where Nick Swisher comes in.</p>
<p>The Red Sox are too right-handed heavy? Nick Swisher isn't just a lefty, but a switch-hitter, the best of both worlds. Last year he had a pretty pronounced split, but over the course of his career he's essentially split even down the middle. He's a perfect guy for the Sox to slot in at number five, giving them a strong middle-of-the-order that doesn't need to be tinkered with from at bat to at bat.</p>
<p>The Red Sox are focusing too much on offense at the expense of defense? Well as much as I like to remember Nick Swisher's worst moments, UZR at least seems to think he's got a decent handle on right field, and over the past few years DRS doesn't put him at all far below average. He's no mastermind out there, but he can hold down the fort about as well as anyone else who's both available and has ever seen a bat before.</p>
<p>The Red Sox need to avoid another clubhouse meltdown at all costs? Well, as much as I don't like Nick Swisher for all his antics, his teammates certainly don't seem to mind, and he seems like a guy the media would get behind as much for defecting from New York as for his willingness to give them fun material to work with.</p>
<p>The real question, as with all free agents, is how much would he cost? And this is quite the question indeed. Depending on who you ask, Swisher could go for as little as Napoli, or could well one-up B.J. Upton in terms of total value. While neither one is likely a realistic answer, it gives you the idea of the range we're working with here.</p>
<p>Some observers think Swisher is waiting for Hamilton to sign and set the market, but even if that's the case for now, we might see that change in a hurry based on the surprisingly short offers we're seeing in that area. The thing is, for all that the speedy center fielders are seeing some serious action come there way, it doesn't seem like the same is true for the standard corner outfielder. Jonny Gomes came to Boston cheap, Cody Ross doesn't seem to be getting any impressive offers, Ryan Ludwick hasn't been heard from since heading out to sea on November 17, and Shane Victorino has set his own market at a fairly reasonable level, asking for somewhere in the neighborhood of three years and $30 million.</p>
<p>Now, of all those options Swisher is definitely the most impressive, but how much of a bump should that give his contract over the next best guy? And what about when you throw Hamilton's name in the mix?</p>
<p>I don't think that Swisher is going to come here for Napoli money. But right now there's no indication that there's a 5/80 deal for a 32-year-old out there. At something closer to 4/52, Swisher starts to become a lot more tempting for the balance he could bring to the team. The question will always remain with this and the next offseason: is it worth it to risk any money in 2015-and-beyond to pick up a good player today? Are we pushing too hard on a season that does not represent our best chance to succeed? But for all that I wish I could just push Nick Swisher away and forget that he exists, he's probably a good enough fit for this team that he should at least make it to that late level of consideration.</p>
https://www.overthemonster.com/2012/12/4/3726778/coming-to-terms-with-nick-swisherBen Buchanan2012-11-28T08:00:46-05:002012-11-28T08:00:46-05:00Napoli, Swisher, And Ross All "In Play" For Boston
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<p>Why sign one or two of these guys when all three would fit?</p> <p>Old news presented in a new way can change the meaning of that news considerably. For instance, if you've been following this off-season at all, you're likely aware that the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Red Sox</a> are interested in first baseman/catcher <span>Mike Napoli</span>, outfielder/first baseman <span>Nick Swisher</span>, and outfielder <span>Cody Ross</span>. The thought has been that Napoli or Swisher would solve the first base issue, and Ross could play right again, but only some combination of the two would work together. Swisher at first, Ross in right, or Swisher mostly in right with Napoli at first, except for on days where Napoli caught.</p>
<p>Jon Heyman of CBS Sports is reporting<a href="http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/blog/jon-heyman/21167556/red-sox-is-targeting-a-trio-napoli-swisher-and-cody-ross" target="_blank"> that Boston actually would like to have all three players if they can</a>:</p>
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<p>The Red Sox are in contact with all three players, and all are considered in play. The Red Sox seek a first baseman and two outfielders, and it appears this is their top triumvirate.</p>
<p><i>-snip-</i></p>
<p>Napoli is likely to command a three- or four-year deal, Ross a two- or three-year deal and Swisher a four-year deal.</p>
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<p>None of the three players would be expensive -- the largest of the deals would likely be around four years at $13 million per season or so -- and if they are all signed to the right contract length, none of the terms would be tough to swallow in terms of how much they restrict the future. The length to root for would be Swisher at four, Napoli at three, and Ross for two.</p>
<p>What would this give the Red Sox? <span>Bryce Brentz</span> and <span>Ryan Kalish</span> insurance, for now and later. A return to the plate discipline and patience that made Red Sox lineups so very good in the recent past. More specifically, it would give Boston a catcher to pair with <span>David Ross</span>, one who could also play first if necessary, and could slide in as designated hitter when <span>David Ortiz's</span> contract is up in two years. It would give them a first baseman for the next four seasons at what is assumed to be a reasonable price -- a difficult thing to manage in today's first base market -- one who can slot into right field during interleague play without it being an adventure as it was for <span>Adrian Gonzalez</span>. It would also give Boston another season of Ross and his Fantastic Fenway Adventures, wherein our hero utilizes the powers bestowed upon him by the Green Monster for all they are worth. And this time, he'd even have a sidekick in <span>Jonny Gomes</span>.</p>
<p>Jarrod Saltalamacchia would absolutely be traded were this to happen, but one of the teams looking for Napoli might be a willing partner there. This would also have implications for Ryan Lavarnway's future, but given the way he played in 2012, in both the majors and the minors, that future might not be now, anyway. (For the most pessimistic, it might not be <i>ever</i> behind the plate if he doesn't improve his play back there. Why do you think David Ross was signed, and the team is looking for yet another backstop still? Insurance.)</p>
<p>This wouldn't have to put an end to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.overthemonster.com/2012/11/27/3698840/boston-red-sox-kansas-city-royals-jon-lester-wil-myers-trade-rumors">talk of a trade</a> for <span>Wil Myers</span>, either, as Ross could easily slot in to left, with Gomes more of a bench outfielder and cheerleader making good money (that Boston has in spades) for the gig. And if a deal with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.royalsreview.com/">Royals</a> doesn't happen -- and we should all be steeling ourselves for this very real possibility -- then at least Boston already has a set outfield, and would then just need to focus on improving the rotation. For the visual learners:</p>
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<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;"><span>Jacoby Ellsbury</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;"><span>Dustin Pedroia</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Nick Swisher</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">David Ortiz</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Mike Napoli</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;"><span>Will Middlebrooks</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Cody Ross</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Jonny Gomes</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;"><span>Jose Iglesias</span></span></li>
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<p>Flee, lefties, while you can. And right-handers, you don't have it easy, either. Of course, there's a huge difference between what a team wants and talking to those players, and what they'll actually bring in. Boston has competition for this trio, but they also have the resources to bring in all three. If they are indeed chasing all three, next week's winter meetings could turn out to be something else.</p>
<p>For what it's worth, <a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/mike-napoli-free-agent-seattle-mariners-boston-red-sox-texas-rangers-112512" target="_blank">Napoli has been designated as Boston's top target</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/Buster_ESPN/statuses/273514593337368576" target="_blank">Buster Olney reports</a> that "friends of Cody Ross" believe Boston to be in the lead for his services. One assumes this means no one is offering Ross the three years he is seeking, so a return to familiarity at two years and the money he desires is leading the charge once more.</p>
https://www.overthemonster.com/2012/11/28/3701116/boston-red-sox-mike-napoli-nick-swisher-cody-ross-free-agent-rumorsMarc Normandin2012-11-26T10:14:11-05:002012-11-26T10:14:11-05:00Red Sox Interested In Outfielder Nick Swisher
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<p>The Red Sox have two holes that free agent Nick Swisher could fill</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.overthemonster.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Red Sox</a> have a lot of options to play right field for their 2013 club, but none of them is particularly thrilling. <span>Jerry Sands</span> might not have the bat for right, and his glove could be problematic in Fenway's toughest corner. <span>Ryan Kalish</span> is still young enough to turn his career around, but betting on that without a backup plan is a dangerous proposition. Throw in that there is currently a hole at the offense-centric first base, and getting the right player in right becomes even more important to the reloading Sox.</p>
<p><span>Nick Swisher</span> could help out at either position, so it's <a href="http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/blog/jon-heyman/21135110/red-sox-giants-braves-and-others-in-robust-swisher-market" target="_blank">no surprise that the Red Sox are thinking about him</a>. <a href="http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/blog/jon-heyman/21135110/red-sox-giants-braves-and-others-in-robust-swisher-market" target="_blank">Jon Heyman reports</a> that it's not just Boston, but also the <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Braves</a>, <a href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Giants</a>, <a href="https://www.lookoutlanding.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Mariners</a>, <a href="https://www.camdenchat.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Orioles</a>, <a href="https://www.lonestarball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Rangers</a>, and <a href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Phillies</a> who are looking (or potentially looking) at Swisher. The Red Sox have more money to play with than any of the others, so they have that going for them if it comes to it. But as with <span>Mike Napoli</span>, Swisher is likely to require at least three or four years for a contract, so it's not all about the money. The willingness to ink Swisher for that long has to be there as well.</p>
<p>Does Boston want Swisher, who will be 32 years old, for that length of time? It's very possible, probably more likely than a desire to go four years on Napoli, even. Swisher has been incredibly consistent in his career, thanks to his combination of power, patience, and, athleticism. He was a fine defender in right field for a long time, and owns a 120 OPS+ in the seven seasons following his rookie campaign back in 2005. During that stretch, his OPS+ dipped below 120 just once. He is very quietly one of the more productive right fielders around, and in many ways is similar to the Indians' Shin-Soo Choo.</p>
<p>Not every metric thinks Swisher's defense is a positive as of late, but most do, and he still has the reputation of an above-average defender in right for a reason. As he ages further, he could be better-suited to first base, but right now, he fits in as the right fielder. Things could get a little complicated if Boston signs Mike Napoli first, but they could just as easily mesh together if the Red Sox decide to sign both. Swisher could play right for two years, Napoli first for the same stretch, with Napoli moving to designated hitter and Swisher to first afterward. In this dream scenario, one or more of Boston's outfield prospects is ready to take over in the outfield as well, making it so the Red Sox don't have to spend any more money on the market to account for these positional shifts.</p>
<p>At this point, though, it seems more like Swisher is the backup plan for Napoli, rather than an additional piece. He would cost the Red Sox a draft pick, but if they lose out on Napoli, that might be a necessary price to pay at that point, since they plan to contend both this year and next as they wait for the aforementioned injection of youth. There's certainly a way to make both work, but let's wait until the Red Sox have even one of them in tow before getting to that level of daydreaming.</p>
https://www.overthemonster.com/2012/11/26/3692374/boston-red-sox-nick-swisher-free-agency-rumorsMarc Normandin2012-11-15T09:01:58-05:002012-11-15T09:01:58-05:00Boston, Give Nick Swisher A Second Chance
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<figcaption>The Star-Ledger-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>A writer familiar with Nick Swisher's ups and downs pleads with the Red Sox to avoid making the same mistake as their rivals</p> <p>Forget the vastly disappointing season, the chaotic Bobby Valentine clubhouse, Daniel Bard's continuing presence on the team. Don't be concerned by Baltimore's unlikely revival or the rising threat from north of the border as the <a href="https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Toronto Blue Jays</a> use the <a href="https://www.fishstripes.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Miami Marlins</a> as their personal expansion draft. Just take a moment to sit back, relax, and savor the moment as the <a href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Yankees</a> suffer from a painfully self-inflicted wound by refusing to re-sign right fielder <span>Nick Swisher</span>. Even better, dream on the <a href="https://www.overthemonster.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Red Sox</a> signing him, in one blow confirming the Yankees in their folly and improving themselves at their rival's expense.</p>
<p>Having watched Swisher act the part of the least-serious Yankee for the last four years, this thought might be anathema to you. That would be a mistake. Swisher's goofy enthusiasm may wear on you when he's not on your team, but it's endearing when he is. That doesn't mean he won't annoy you for other reasons, even as you're cheering him on. You're going to be frequently alarmed by his esoteric routes in the outfield, even if they result in a catch most of the time. He's frustratingly streaky, seemingly forgetting how to hit for long periods; he averaged .284/.355/.617 in April of 2012 and .207/.245/.322 in May. That's not unusual for him. He'll alternate periods where he hits like Miguel Cabrera (for example, averaging .324/.421/.575 in June-July, 2011) and periods where he hits like <span>Miguel Cabrera's</span> anemic little brother, the one they don't let out of the basement when company calls (.213/.335/.314 in April-May of that same season).</p>
<p>There's more you're going to have to accept. He sometimes loses track of his stroke from one side of the plate or the other, but generally speaking he's a true switch-hitter, more of a power threat from the left side of the plate, more likely to walk from the right side. Oh -- and if the Red Sox are fortunate enough to return to the postseason, you'll have to do your best to just put Swisher out of your mind -- hitting in the playoffs is not among his skills.</p>
<p>Sure, all of the foregoing can make you tear your hair out, but if the Red Sox <i>do </i>get back, chances are they wouldn't have had a shot at October baseball without his contribution.</p>
<p>Since 2006, Swisher has been one of the most consistent players in the majors, good for about three offensive wins (as per bWAR) every year except 2008, when an inexplicably severe home-road split and a personality conflict with Ozzie Guillen ruined his season. A .264/.370/.480 hitter in his non-Ozzie years, Swisher has averaged 32 doubles, 27 home runs, and 87 walks during those seasons. Swisher's overall OPS+ from his good years (again, 2006 through 2012, excluding 2008) works out to 125. Now look at his OPS+ year by year: 125, 126, 122, 129, 120, and 126. He's baseball's most comical atomic clock. As long as he's healthy, you have a pretty good idea of what you're going to get -- and he hasn't been on the disabled list since 2005.</p>
<p>The Yankees aren't re-signing Swisher because they're on an austerity kick so as to get their payroll down to $189 million by 2014 and also because he's difficult to evaluate. Rumors during the season suggested he'd be in pursuit of a <span>Jayson Werth</span> contract (seven years, $126 million). Now, Swisher is good, and he doesn't have Werth's injury problems or inconsistency (nor his defensive abilities), but that doesn't mean he's worth duplicating Mike Rizzo's notorious overpay. Swisher will turn 32 later this month. Unlike Werth, he's slow now, and his defense, though presently acceptable, won't stay that way forever. His selectivity and power should continue to serve him well as he ages, but as a hitter with "old players' skills," his batting average likely won't survive the transition into baseball's version of old age. If you sign him to a long-term contract, what do you do when, a year or two in, you have a 33-year-old, .230-hitting DH who is being paid $8 or $10 million a year? Whether Swisher is ultimately a good buy or not depends on his flexibility in terms of years.</p>
<p>Let me pause here to acknowledge the obvious: I am the proprietor of <u><a href="http://www.pinstripedbible.com/">the Pinstriped Bible</a></u> -- in other words, a Yankees guy. However, that doesn't mean I'm <u><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concern_troll#Concern_troll">concern trolling</a></u> Red Sox fans. I'm not doctrinaire about this stuff. I've never seen any reason to hate the Red Sox other than for the institutionalized racism of the Yawkey years, and that was over a long time ago. Rather, I've admired the way the team was put together and run under their current ownership from 2004 up until, well, the beer and fried chicken fiasco of 2011. That's why when they finally won their first championship since the Dark Ages I was excited to put together the book <u><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mind-Game-Created-Blueprint-Winning/dp/0761140182?tag=sbnation-20" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Mind Game</a></u> on the making of the 2004 team.</p>
<p>This message comes from the heart, that bitter place where I nurture my hatred of self-destructive baseball decisions. As someone who follows the Yankees, I'm going to be very sorry to see Swisher go, because barring a trade for an impact bat as yet unrumored, they're simply not going to replace his production, never mind his enthusiasm. The fanbase seems to have bought into the idea that <span>Ichiro Suzuki's</span> comeback was real and that he should be retained. Those fans are in for a rude awakening; although Ichiro has Swisher licked when it comes to fielding and baserunning, he's not the hitter that Swisher is and hasn't been for years. As <u><a href="http://www.pinstripedbible.com/2012/10/23/3542428/ichiro-vs-swisher-new-york-yankees-right-field">I recently wrote</a></u> over at the PB, "If you like OPS, Ichiro has a career .784, Swisher .814. If you want that league- and park-adjusted, it's 113 for Ichiro, 118 for Swisher. If you prefer wOBA it's .339 for Ichiro, .359 for Swisher. True Average? .284 for Ichiro, .288 for Swisher."</p>
<p>Again, if the Yankees are determined to be stupid, it's an opportunity for the Red Sox to be smart.</p>
<p>Finally, a last note on Swisher's <i>joie de vivre</i>, so irritating to his opponent's fans. Here is <u><a href="http://nymag.com/news/intelligencer/encounter/nick-swisher-2012-9/">his explanation</a></u> of his comportment (as told to <span>Chris Smith</span> of <i>New York</i> magazine in September):</p>
<p>"My whole philosophy about this thing, man, there's so much stress put on winning and losing, stuff like that, sometimes I feel like people kind of forget the reason why we play this game: Because we love it!" Swisher says. "Brad Fisher, a coach in Oakland, told me, ‘As long as you put that uniform on, you have a lifetime pass to be a kid.' And it's so true! When I take that field, and the place is packed, I feel like a little kid running out there, dude! People come to games expecting to see the Nick Swisher Show. Well, they're gonna get it!"</p>
<p>After all the grumbling around the Red Sox the last couple of years, couldn't they use a little of that? The Yankees sure could. That is, they will need it, starting next spring.</p>
<p><i>Steven Goldman, MLB League Editor for SBN, manager of </i><u><a href="http://www.pinstripedbible.com/"><i>the Pinstriped Bible</i></a></u><i>, and author of </i><u><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Forging-Genius-Making-Casey-Stengel/dp/1574888749?tag=sbnation-20" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><i>Forging Genius</i></a></u><i> is also sometimes one of SBN's </i><u><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb-designated-columnists"><i>Designated Columnists</i></a></u>. <i>Follow him at </i><u><a href="https://twitter.com/GoStevenGoldman"><i>@gostevengoldman</i></a></u><i>.</i></p>
https://www.overthemonster.com/2012/11/15/3648818/boston-red-sox-nick-swisher-new-york-yankees-free-agentsSteven Goldman